Goodbye Angela Farewell

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD AFFAIRS

Goodbye Angela Farewell

 

For sixteen years she reigned

Over Europe from Berlin

The birthing of the union

The collapse of the banks

Debt and austerity

The never-ending war on terror

The rise of the Islamic State

Russian aggression

The climate crisis

The great migration

The reactionary right

The rise of the autocrats

Brexit and the British clown

The American void

The global pandemic

 

History will record

Through the trials and tribulations

Of the most challenging times

In the post-industrial age

Angela Merkel held steady

While others faltered

 

History will record

The European Union owes its existence

To Merkel’s strength and diplomacy

 

For sixteen of the most critical years

For human civilization on earth

Merkel filled the gaping hole

That America and Britain left wanting

The iron woman of Berlin

Stood up to the Russian beast

When the American president demurred

Stood up to the white nationalist threat

When the American president

Gave it praise and encouragement

 

We did not agree with austerity

We did not agree on many policies

But on the whole we admired you

And in the end we thank you

 

Where would we be without you?

 

Goodbye Angela fare well